Father and Son  A Sith Duel on Bespin
by Vadakin
Summary: What if Anakin had beaten ObiWan on Mustafar? Luke and Leia would have been raised by the Dark Lord...who could have blown up the Death Star? What about the duel on Bespin? Another oneoff TFN competition entry from me.


Finally, my entry….I actually think it's one of the best rewrites I've done. Rather than just rewrite the dialogue, I changed the whole purpose of the scene. Following on from a prequel rewrite I did, Luke and Leia have been raised by Vader, who is the Emperor…Biggs Darklighter is the one who brought the stolen plans to the rebels in ANH and blew up the Death Star. Yep, this is a complete rewrite with some familiar elements.

Also, for those who like to imagine what a scene looks like when they read, Vader isn't in the mechanical suit since he defeated Obi-Wan on Mustafar.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading this alternate take on the Cloud City Duel…

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"Your Majesty, a small fighter craft has just entered the system – X-Wing Class."

"Good," Vader replied, "monitor Darklighter and allow him to land. When he has entered the facility, set your weapons to stun – I want him alive."

"As you wish," the Imperial officer replied as he left the carbon-freezing chamber.

Vader had beaten Obi-Wan on Mustafar, he had killed Darth Sidious and reformed the Jedi Order, teaching new students about the larger ideas of the Force, including the nature of the Dark Side. Vader's regime was supposed to create order in the galaxy. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

A decade after Vader seized control of the Empire, a rebellion against his rule had begun, and when a young pilot, Biggs Darklighter, destroyed the Death Star, the former Jedi found himself wishing that his wife had not disappeared. Even though Padme hadn't agreed with Anakin's actions, she loved her husband too much to turn against him. During the early years of the Empire, Padme had worked with her husband to create order, convincing him to keep the Senate intact and operational. It wasn't democracy, but it was the closest thing to freedom that she could expect, at least until Vader deemed that peace and prosperity had been fully restored and that the Senate was ready to take full command once again.

Perhaps Vader did intend to relinquish his power eventually, but the longer he controlled the galaxy, the more consumed by his own power Anakin became. Padme had disappeared, kidnapped from her apartment on Coruscant. Vader used the vast resources of the Empire to search for her, but he couldn't find her. With Padme gone, there was no one to hold him back, no one to show him the value of restoring the democracy. With the rebellion gaining momentum, Vader dissolved the Senate and took direct control of the Imperial Fleet, determined to eliminate his enemies.

"Did you have to put poor Han in the carbonite?" Princess Leia Skywalker asked, annoyed, "I was quite fond of him."

"He was a smuggler with ties to the rebellion, he would have attempted to corrupt you." Vader responded as he lowered his hood.

"Father, Luke and I will rule the Empire someday, you must learn to trust our judgement. Solo may have been a rebel, but that could have worked to our advantage. Besides, you always do this. Every boyfriend I have…you interfere and act like nobody is good enough for me. That might be true, but I must have someone to look down upon….I'm tired, I believe I will retire to my chambers. Goodnight father."

As Leia left the carbon-freezing chamber, she knew that tomorrow, she could be ruler of the galaxy. Her brother had decided to face their father in combat. If he won, then both he and Leia would gain control of the Empire and from there, it was only a matter of time before Luke also turned on her. But Leia had her own plan.

Biggs Darklighter's X-Wing stood on the landing platform, surrounded by Stormtroopers. The pilot had entered Cloud City's gas refinery, sent there to assassinate Vader and rescue Han Solo if possible. It was a strange plan. Biggs was the most wanted man in the galaxy, his victory against the Death Star had made him a celebrity, even among Imperials. So sending him to do an assassins job seemed strange to him. Biggs was easily recognisable, a fact that had gotten him into trouble on more than one occasion. But apparently, it was vital that Luke Skywalker, the man charged with hunting his down, be on Cloud City and the only way to ensure that was for Biggs to go on the mission himself.

Biggs remembered how he had gotten caught up in the rebellion. A rebel space ship, the Tantive IV, had crash landed on Tatooine after a battle with an Imperial Star Destroyer. The ships captain had survived the crash, though he was badly injured. Biggs' uncle had found Captain Antilles and given him medical treatment. It was here, that Biggs learned of the stolen plans for the Death Star.

With the Empire closing in, Biggs agreed to take the plans to Alderaan. He left his family behind and chartered a flight out of the system aboard the Millennium Falcon, eventually ending up on the Death Star itself, staging a daring rescue, having learned that Bail Organa, ruler of Alderaan was a prisoner there, before escaping to Yavin and making his name as the rebel who destroyed the Death Star.

But that seemed like a long time ago now and as Biggs found himself facing a Dark Lord of the Sith, Luke Skywalker, and an elite squad of Stormtroopers, Biggs knew there was no escape.

"Set you weapons to stun and take him down," Prince Skywalker commanded, watching with a wry smile as Biggs fell to the floor, being hit with a stun blast from behind.

Taking out his comlink, Luke contacted the Super-Star Destroyer, Executor, in orbit around the planet.

"Admiral Piett, where is my father?" Like asked, speaking into the comlink.

"He is still in the Carbon-Freezing Chamber, shall I contact him?" Piett responded through the communicator.

"No, I will speak to him myself."

"As you wish Your Highness."

Anakin Skywalker stood, looking down at the machines that littered the chamber. Stretching out through the Force, he tried to sense his wife. He did the same thing on every planet he visited, hoping to find some trace of her, but to no avail. His thoughts were interrupted as his son entered the chamber, lightsaber in hand. Vader always knew this day would come, Luke had always been the more aggressive of the twins and he was always the one who was likely to attempt to overthrow his father. Vader wasn't angry though. It was the way of the Sith, and the new Jedi Order, which embraced the teachings of the Dark Side, had encouraged students to overthrow their masters. Of course, nobody was foolish enough to attack Vader, he was far too powerful. Only his children were strong enough to even try.

"The Force is with you young Skywalker…but you are not Emperor yet." Vader commented as Luke walked up the stairs to meet him, igniting his blade.

"You knew this day was coming father," Like replied as Vader ignited his own lightsaber. Vader had kept his blue blade as a symbol of the new Jedi Order, while Luke's blade glowed a crimson red, a symbol of the ancient Sith.

Luke swung his blade to Vader's left, prompting the Emperor to block quickly, before retaliating with a vicious swipe aimed at Luke's head. Ducking, Luke rolled to his father's left side, swinging out at the Dark Lord's legs, forcing Vader to flip backwards to avoid the intense energy beam. As Vader landed, he removed his cloak to give himself greater mobility. Thrusting his blade forward then suddenly cutting upwards, hoping to catch his son off balance.

But Luke had been trained well by his father and he anticipated the move, dragging his blade down to parry Vader's strike, then countering as he turned his body, kicking Vader down the steps away from the freezing chamber.

"Impressive…most impressive," Emperor Skywalker commented as he rose to his feet, dusting himself off.

"You'll find I'm full of surprises," Luke replied arrogantly as he went on the offensive again. Luke was tired of living in his father's shadow. The lure of the Dark Side had convinced him that Anakin needed to be eliminated so that he could seize power for himself although Luke didn't perceive Leia to be a threat. Despite having the same potential as him, Leia had always struggled to harness the full power of the Dark Side. Still, Luke knew that it was only a matter of time before he would be forced to destroy her. For now though, his opponent was his own father.

Using the Force, Luke pulled four radiator coils from the wall, tossing them across the room at Vader. While his father was easily able to dodge and destroy the coils, Luke used the distraction to move in close and slice through the robotic hand on Vader's right arm, something Vader had been forced to use after a confrontation with Count Dooku during the clone wars years before.

"I have thought you well," Vader noted, not concerned with the loss of his right hand as he picked his lightsaber up with his left, "You have controlled your fear, now release your anger. Only your hatred can destroy me."

Anakin was always teaching, always instructing. Even now, as his son tried to kill him, Vader only sought to make him stronger. It was after all, the way of the Sith and the nature of the Dark Side.

But Vader had no intention of giving up so easily. Swinging his blade hard, he knocked his son to the ground and placed the blade against his neck.

"You are beaten, it is useless to resist…don't make me destroy you."

"You haven't won yet," Luke responded with venom in his voice as began to Force choke his father, before unleashing a powerful blast of lightning from his fingertips, causing his father to cry out in intense pain. Standing up, Luke held his lightsaber in one hand, while targeting his father with sporadic blasts of lightning, his eyes turning yellow, his pupils becoming almost blood red as he let himself become one with the Dark Side of the Force. "Your powers are weak old man," Luke commented with a laugh.

"Indeed you are powerful," Vader replied, struggling to overcome the pain he was feeling, "but you have only begun to realise that power. Son…if you kill me now, you will never unlock your true potential."

"Are you afraid? Is that begging I hear? The great Darth Vader, begging me to let him live?"

"I am your father…"

"No…you are pathetic. I have surpassed you in every way. The galaxy belongs to me now." Luke replied in a mocking tone before swinging his lightsaber, cutting through flesh and bone, watching with an evil grin as his father's head fell to the floor, severed from his body.

As Luke looked down at his fathers lifeless body, he sensed a presence in the room.

"…is it done?" the voice of his sister asked as she approached behind him.

"Yes Leia, it's done…the Empire is ours now," Luke said as he turned to greet her.

"No, it's not," Leia replied as she ignited her lightsaber and stabbed her brother through the chest.

Standing, Luke looked down at the wound and then at his sister. He had finally stepped out of his father's shadow, only to be betrayed himself. Luke fell forward, into his sisters arms, feeling weak as she eased him onto the floor.

"I'm sorry Luke…it's the only way. I wish…I wish it didn't have to be like this, but you've gone too far down the dark path. It's time to bring some light back to the galaxy." Leia said softly as she held her brother, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Li…light?" Luke asked, puzzled as he felt his life draining away.

"Our mother is alive Luke…I was the one who took her. We staged the whole thing. She couldn't bring herself to openly defy her husband or her children, she loves us too much. The only thing she could do was disappear." Leia answered as her brother struggled to hold on to life.

"Where…where is…"

"She's with the rebels. She's safe. Safe from us. Even now, she loves you…as she loves him." Leia said, as she pointed towards Anakin's lifeless body, "and I love you Luke, my dear brother. But I had to set you free…I had to release you from the darkness…close your eyes, let go Luke…just…let go."

Leia stayed with her brother, holding him as he passed away, crying openly as she looked at her father's body beside them. It didn't matter that the fate of the galaxy depended on their deaths. Leia finally understood why her mother had stood by Anakin for all those years, why she hadn't abandoned her children white they were growing up…why she waited. For all their faults, for the evil they had done, she loved them.

By the time Admiral Piett came down to Cloud City, having received no contact from the Emperor, Leia was standing over her brother and fathers bodies. As Piett entered the chamber, he wasn't shocked…Vader had told him that a day like this might come…a rite of succession for the Sith was something that Piett had been expecting, though the fact that Leia was the one to survive did surprise him.

"Admiral, my father and brother are dead…see to it that their bodies are treated with respect and honour and that they receive proper funeral rituals…I am Empress now." Leia ordered.

"Yes…your majesty…"

Leia was in control of the galaxy…she pondered that thought for a moment. It would be so easy to just return to Coruscant and sit on the throne…for her will to be done without question. She would be feared and respected across the stars. It was a temptation that was hard to ignore. It was the Dark Side…she had been struggling to resist it all her life. Her father taught her about the Force, to use fear and aggression to get what she wanted…and she enjoyed it. But her mother had given her strength, given her the confidence to fight the darkness. Now, Leia had to decide for herself what path the galaxy would take…she had been secretly working with Solo and the rebels but now that she had absolute power, she found the temptation hard to resist.

"Admiral…"

"Yes Empress?"

Now was the time to decide. As she looked down at her fathers body, then at Luke's, Leia knew what needed to be done. The darkness had to end.

"Darklighter and Solo are to be released, tell that bounty hunter he will be compensated…also, inform him that it would be unwise to return to Jabba the Hutt…that gangster may not be in business much longer."

"You're majesty, Solo and Darklighter are rebels…" Piett responded with confusion.

"I am aware of that Admiral. You are to make a multi-frequency broadcast to all ships in the fleet. All Imperial ships must stand down from high alert immediately. All rebels prisoners must be released and the Senate is to be recalled."

"I don't understand…"

"We have been living in darkness for over 20 years. But no more…it's time to restore peace and freedom to the galaxy…it's time to let democracy resume…the Republic will live again." Leia responded, allowing herself a brief smile.

News spread quickly. All across the galaxy, joyous celebrations went on for weeks. The heroes of the rebellion were honoured and those whose lives had been lost in the war were remembered. The Jedi who had survived Order 66 emerged from the shadows to take control of the Jedi Order once again. Within six months, the Imperial fleet had been almost entirely decommissioned, with the ships and soldiers remaining being transformed into a galactic police force, to help maintain security across the newly restored Republic, under the control of the Senate and the Jedi.

On Tatooine, Padme Skywalker and her daughter Leia stood silently, looking at the graves of Shmi, Luke and Anakin Skywalker. As they remembered their loved ones, Owen and Beru Lars walked and stood with them.

"Do you ever wonder what could have been?" Owen asked Padme as he looked at Anakin's grave.

"Sometimes…but they're both at peace now. They're free." Padme replied as she looked at her husbands grave."

"I can't believe it's finally over…" Beru commented.

"It's not the end," Padme responded, smiling as she looked up at the night sky, "it's a new beginning…"

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End file.
